Logging food when eating out

achampa23
achampa23 Posts: 7 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I have had trouble tracking calories when eating out. I love to go to local restaurants, but those restaurants aren't in the mfp log. So I struggle to track my food when I go out? I am curious as to what others do in this situation

Replies

  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    I just do my best and try to find a similar dish on MFP and not do it too often.
  • Editme12
    Editme12 Posts: 71 Member
    Sometimes I break down what I'm eating, using my hand as a reference. And I try to over estimate. Like, Mexican food. I lay out the tacos, compare the tortilla to my hand to then log later (4", 6", etc). I think about the meat, sour cream, cheese, all compared to what measurements I know. Then I usually add 200 calories to whatever my meal total is for good measure, if they add butter unexpectedly or what have you.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Also, eat only half of whatever you're served and take the rest home. It will make another 1-2 meals and you'll get to have that yummy food more times!
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    achampa23 wrote: »
    I have had trouble tracking calories when eating out. I love to go to local restaurants, but those restaurants aren't in the mfp log. So I struggle to track my food when I go out? I am curious as to what others do in this situation

    I find a restaurant that has a similar item of the same or similar portion as well (I check yelp and google images) and I log that and over-estimate to be safe. I don't do that much lately, but it still works. I try to go to places that have their nutrition facts listed online.
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    if its burgers at the local diner down the road i use the red robin build a burger feature on their website to figure it out as best i can. It has just about everything you can imagine for options to add.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,186 Member
    I just pick a similar chain restaurant and use their entries.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,190 Member
    achampa23 wrote: »
    I have had trouble tracking calories when eating out. I love to go to local restaurants, but those restaurants aren't in the mfp log. So I struggle to track my food when I go out? I am curious as to what others do in this situation

    I just don't log my food or even try to find something in the MFP database because it would be time consuming and very inaccurate; and I don't estimate my calories either. I make a note in the comments section of my diary describing what I ate and where and that's all.

    If I know that the restaurant has the menu on line, then I will take a look to have an idea, but I will not log it either unless the restaurant has the nutritional information available in the menu or in their website. But that's me.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I usually mentally deconstruct the meal and I enter it an ingredient at a time. It really doesn't take as much time as you might think.

    I tend to probably overestimate on the quantities just to be on the safe side and I'll add in oil, butter, etc. - every single ingredient I know is in there.

    It seems to be working for me as I am continuing to lose.
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    achampa23 wrote: »
    I have had trouble tracking calories when eating out. I love to go to local restaurants, but those restaurants aren't in the mfp log. So I struggle to track my food when I go out? I am curious as to what others do in this situation

    I just don't log my food or even try to find something in the MFP database because it would be time consuming and very inaccurate; and I don't estimate my calories either. I make a note in the comments section of my diary describing what I ate and where and that's all.

    If I know that the restaurant has the menu on line, then I will take a look to have an idea, but I will not log it either unless the restaurant has the nutritional information available in the menu or in their website. But that's me.

    so you would rather be 0% accurate then guess to probably 80-90%?

    I do what most above said by choosing similar chain meals and then I add in 10-15 % buffer.
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    I also use similar restaurant, but I try and pick one I've been too so I can eyeball the difference in portion sizes.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,190 Member
    edited April 2017
    jdog022 wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    achampa23 wrote: »
    I have had trouble tracking calories when eating out. I love to go to local restaurants, but those restaurants aren't in the mfp log. So I struggle to track my food when I go out? I am curious as to what others do in this situation

    I just don't log my food or even try to find something in the MFP database because it would be time consuming and very inaccurate; and I don't estimate my calories either. I make a note in the comments section of my diary describing what I ate and where and that's all.

    If I know that the restaurant has the menu on line, then I will take a look to have an idea, but I will not log it either unless the restaurant has the nutritional information available in the menu or in their website. But that's me.

    so you would rather be 0% accurate then guess to probably 80-90%?

    I do what most above said by choosing similar chain meals and then I add in 10-15 % buffer.

    I have been maintaining my weight for almost 7 years. Accuracy is not something that I worry much, time is more important to me and I am very good a portion control. I mostly don't eat my exercise calories so I always have extra calories available for days like today and this coming weekend.

    Today my husband and I had lunch in a tapas/spanish restaurant. There is not way that I am going to spend time looking for something close enough to what I had for lunch, except for 1/2 of a mango gazpacho soup. Even then, what ever I log it may over or under estimated.

  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
    7 years in and sure you can probably do all of this without measuring, tracking etc but a majority of the users asking these questions are nowhere near that level of eyeball and gut feeling expertise. OPs first visit here was 4 weeks ago
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,190 Member
    jdog022 wrote: »
    7 years in and sure you can probably do all of this without measuring, tracking etc but a majority of the users asking these questions are nowhere near that level of eyeball and gut feeling expertise. OPs first visit here was 4 weeks ago

    I am with you, but I never logged when I was losing either unless I had the nutritional information available. What can I tell you I am a weird snow flake o:)

    I like to add that I mostly eat at local places so it is very difficult to find something similar in MFP and searching on line for something similar is not my thing to do.
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